First Daughter’s Spring Break is Not News, Until Earthquake Strikes

Drudge Report is making a big deal today about how the White House had asked U.S. media organizations to not cover Malia Obama‘s Spring Break trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. A search through TVEyes shows no U.S. TV network has covered the pre-teen’s trip. Politico reports several websites have scrubbed stories about the trip from their websites after being asked to do so. A White House spokesperson says:

From the beginning of the administration, the White House has asked news outlets not to report on or photograph the Obama children when they are not with their parents and there is no vital news interest. We have reminded outlets of this request in order to protect the privacy and security of these girls.

But things changed this afternoon when a 7.6 earthquake struck near Acapulco in the state of Guerrero, which shares a border with Oaxaca. The White House quickly released this statement:

In light of today’s earthquake, we can confirm that Malia Obama is safe and was never in danger

As for the earthquake, Mexican President Felipe Calderon wrote on Twitter that there is no immediate reports of damage. The BBC’s Will Grant, in Mexico City, reports buildings swayed for at least a minute.